Pedal control for motor vehicles



June 25, 1929. 'THQRPE 1,718,884

PEDAL CONTROL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Dec. 2, 1926 pedal.

10 thereof.

Patented June 25, 1929. v

, UNITED STATES GEORGE GORDON THORPE, OF WANGANUI, NEW ZEALAND, ASSIGNOB OF ONEHALF T JOHN GOULL, 0F WANGANUI, NEW ZEALAND.

PEDAL CONTROL FOB MOTOR VEHICLES.

Application filed December 2,1926, Serial No. 152,281, and in New Zealand September 28. 1926.

This invention relates to pedal controls for I motor. vehicles.

According to the present invention there is combined with the'brake pedal mechanism ,5 adapted to be actuated by the movement .of the drivers foot other than by a forward Figure 5, is a crosssection through a part of a pedal, but drawnto a larger-scale than the preceding views.

gigure 6, is a front view of the member, an

Figure 7, is a cross section on line A-A movement, andthis movement of the foot! Figure 6;

operates to open or close the throttle as requlred but to be inoperative upon forward movement of the foot or pedal. A foot controlled member is attached to the brake pedal and receives the drivers foot for operating both brake pedal and the throttle control This member actuates means which, when the foot is moved either in alateral or rotarymanner, will operate the throttle control to open or close such throttle, but which, when thehrake pedaT is pushed forward, will move out of. engagement with the throttle control.

The present invention will, therefore, avoid the danger of the driver placing his foot on v I .--the wrong pedal and-thus eliminate the possibility of accident due to the driver in an emergency opening the throttle instead of opteemin the brake, or vice versa.

"It will give safer driving, inasmuchas the rivefls foot will remain constantly upon the a brake pedal, so that the brake can be applied instantaneously. g

It will also prevent involuntary operations j of the throttle dueto shocks over bad roads,

, and so provide smoother running on such roads, and atthe same time tend to reduce strainson the transmission mechanism.

Drivin fatiguewill he reduced, since the drivers oot rests upon-the'brake pedal and. no muscularten'sion-is necessary to maintain a constant pressure on thethrottle control.

The driver, where necessary, can accelerate one moment and apply the brakeat the next moment without removing his foot from the one pedal. r Approved forms of the lnventlon are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- F'gure 1, a side view showing the invention .in conjunction with oneforin of brake Figure 2, is

Figure 3, is ll n view "nontrolled member showing it in one position.

Fi ure4, 1s asimil'arview lshowingtha mem r operated'to anotherposition.

cured by a shoulder or nut 8. On

- side between which the drivers position shown in d an end; view Offa' portion diate positiono thethrottle ma by an tween th is shown in ures 1 to 7, a member consisting of a plate 1 is adapted to be operated by the drivers-foot and is fixed on the end of a rod 2 which passes thrqugh a hole 3 in the pedal 4 (see Figure 5). The rod 2 passes along the side of the pedal as shown in Figure bracket 5 fixed by rivets to the pedal and sethe rod is rigidlysecured an arm 9 adapted to engage beneath a portion 10 of a lever 11 pivoted at 12. To the other endof the lever 11 is attached a rod 14 controlling the throttle from the carburettor in any ordinary manner.

1, and is guided through a The plate 1 may have stops 15 upon each foot is placed, so as to enable the )late to be easily operated. In Figures 6 and one of the stops 1s made adjustable to accommodate-different sizes of feet, and in this case the pin of the stop passes through a slot 16, a portion of the plate each sideof the slot having teeth 171 into which. a tooth of a' plate 16 enters, the stop being held down by a spring washers 19 on the spindle of the stopa Limlting stops 34 may also be used.

Figures 1 and 3 show the plate 1 in the position when the throttle is not being operated by the rod 14, the arm 9 merely restingbeneath the lever 11 which is held in thtltPOSi-l tion by the spring of the throttle control.

18. in compresslon bet ween' Upon the driver moving his foot-to the pos1 tion shown in Figure 4, the lever 9 will move upwards as shown and raise the lever 11 tothe tted lines in Figure 1,

.Any intermethe'reby openin the throttle.

y intermediate-position o the foot be-' The len of the portio 10 on the lever 11 is such that with any slight forward movement too be. obtained gure 3 and in Figure 4-. V

5 Figure 3 mayoperate the is pivoted on a pin '20 distance is of the pedal 4 the arm 9 wouldstill be in contact and operate the lever, but should the brake pedal be pushed forward for the purpose of applying the brake, the arm 9 would leave the lever 11, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and be completely disengaged from the lever, even though the arm 9 is rotated to the position as in Fi ure 4, so that the throttle will not be operate by the rod 14 when the brake is applied.

If desired, the movement of the foot may give a difl'erent actuation, e. g. the position in lever 11 and the position in Figure 4 may be a normal idle positionl Referring now 'to Figures 8 to 11, the plate fixed in the pedal tread 21. The plate 1 contains a drum 22 on its undrside having a groove 23 in which rides a wire 24. This wire is fixed at 25 to the drum and after passing around the drum a sufficient guided through a bracket 26 fixed to the pedal and through a further bracket 27 and has its end attached to a lever 28 pivoted at 29to the shank of the pedal. The end of the lever 28 is formed with'a lateral arm 30 (see Figure 9) adapted to contact with a foot 31 of a lever 32 to which is attached a rod 33 leading to the throttle. Upon the plate 1 being rotated by means of the drivers foot in' th direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 11, the lever 28 will be depress the foot 31 of the lever 32 for the purpose of opening the throttle. When, however, the brake pedal is pushed forward in the direction of the arrow in Figure 8,:the arm 30 will ride over the foot 31 and be clear of the foot so that upon the pedal being operated for the purpose of applying the brake the throttle cannot be operated by the rod 33.

In, some cases, the pedals may be specially .constructed to receive the mechanism, and it is drawn upwards and not limit myself to tion by the drivers foot, a foot-plate rotatably I pivoted onthe tread of said brakeedal,-a lever pivoted on said brake-pedal, a rum fixed on the underside of said foot-plate, a wire passing around said drum and guided to one end of said lever on said brake-pedal, a lever controlling the throttle of the engine operable by the other end of said lever on the brake-pedal and adapted upon forward actuation of said pedal to move to a nonoperable position relative to said lever controlling the throttle.

2. In a pedal control for motor vehicles, the combination with the brake pedal, of a foot plate pivoted thereon for rotative adjustment, a drum rotatable, with the foot plate, a lever mounted upon the shank of the brake lever, a

flexible connecting element connected to one end of said lever and wound about the drum, whereby the lever may be actuated through rotative adjustment of the foot plate and corresponding adjustment of the drum, a projection upon the other end of said lever, a lever having one endpositioned for engagement by said projection upon the first mentioned lever, when the foot pedal is in release position, and means for connection with the throttle of the motor .vehicle engine and connected with the other end of the second mentioned lever, the projection of the first mentioned lever being positioned to clear the first mentioned end of the second mentioned lever When'the brake pedal is shifted to active position.

In testimony whereof, I have name to this specification. p

. GEQRGE GORDON THORPE.

signed my 

